When Gary Johnson was governor of New Mexico, he vetoed 750 bills during his eight years in office — more vetoes than of all the nation's other governors combined.

That, he says, makes him a forbearer of sorts for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who's risen to political stardom thanks to his tough vetoes and bellicose approach to the state budget.

"This is what I was doing before it was politically en vogue," Johnson, 58, said in an interview with The Hill.

Being politically en vogue isn't exactly Johnson's mantra.

He's running for the Republican presidential nomination on a platform that calls for withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq — a position that's anathema to the party's ruling class. He also supports abortion rights and, most controversially, favors legalizing marijuana.

Johnson hasn't formally announced his 2012 intentions — he's scheduled to do so Thursday on the steps of the New Hampshire State Capitol in Concord — but he's gotten a lot of media attention, mainly because of his stance on pot.